WhilePokemon Scarlet and Violethave received many criticisms from the gaming community since their launch in November 2022, some of the most common complaints from fans continue to be with regard to the limited customization options for player characters. Although character customization has been more focused on in some of the franchise’s more recent titles,Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, unfortunately, keep players stuck in their school uniform over the course of their journeys, offering limited aesthetic choices which often don’t work well with the default outfit.
Although the more classicPokemongames offered nothing in the way of character customization, with the full selection ofthePokemonseries' protagonistshaving their own unalterable appearances up untilPokemon X and Y, this hasn’t been the case with recent games. It was the Generation 6 games that introduced the option for Trainers to purchase and wear different clothes of their choosing, while also adding in the ability for players to choose their player character’s skin tone and even try different hairstyles. Character customization has remained a staple part of most of the core-series games since, and although this mechanic was expanded on even further inPokemon Sword and Shield, players of the latest Generation 9 titles have been disappointed that clothing options have been far more limited in the most recent games.
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A fan of thePokemonseries under the username shellybaby22 voices their opinion in a post on Reddit, complaining that many of the available cosmetics look ridiculous when matched with the default uniform that players are forced to wear during theirtrip around the Paldea region. A screenshot attached to the post makes this clear, showing off their player character wearing some multicolored leggings which almost look like a texture glitch when worn with the typical school attire. While the game does offer some apparel shops which allow players to decorate their trainers with certain accessories, they don’t allow fans to change out of their uniform and lack the functional depth seen in other recentPokemongames such asSword and ShieldorLegends: Arceus.
Although the choice of skin tone at the start of the game remains present and Trainers can still try a range of different hairstyles, the fixed school uniform is seen by manyPokemonfans as a step backward. In terms of narrative,Trainers inPokemon Scarlet and Violetare required to wear this outfitdue to them being enrolled in the academy, though many players argue that they should have the option to drop the school uniform after completing the game.
With glitches, performance issues, and graphical disappointments,Pokemon Scarlet and Violethave had more than a few problemswhich have plagued them since release. But with the potential of DLC in the near future, there’s hope that proper customization might yet be added to the games.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violetare available on Nintendo Switch.
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